Address counter cell

ABSTRACT

An address counter cell for use in burst mode operation in a synchronous DRAM is described which, in response to a falling edge of a system clock, simultaneously loads address inputs into an external address master latch and an internal address master latch, and further enables a multiplexer to select between the external and internal address inputs. In response to a subsequent rising edge of the system clock, the selected address input is then loaded into a low-output-load capacitance slave latch and is further provided to complementary output nodes. The signal from one of the output nodes is also fedback to circuitry for incrementing the selected address internally for subsequent clock cycles remaining in the burst mode operation. Once the initial address of the burst operation has thusly been entered, for the remainder of the burst mode, the multiplexer selects the address loaded into the internal address master latch and operates as an edge-triggered flip/flop with the master latch accepting an incremented address in response to the falling edge of the system clock and with the slave latch loading and outputting the incremented address in response to the rising edge of the system clock. During a standby mode, circuitry is provided for disabling the counter cell and ensuring that the output nodes are stable and disabled.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a counter that can be used in a columnaddressing circuit of a random access memory (RAM).

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

As demand increases for higher density and speed in dynamic randomaccess memories, various approaches have been used to increase the speedof data access. Conventional DRAMs are currently operating in extendeddata output mode (EDO) in which data lines are not tri-stated betweenread cycles. Instead, data is held valid after /CAS, or until /RAS isbrought high. Complex timing is required to properly time the arrival ofvalid data at output pins from the input of column addresses.

In synchronous DRAMs (SDRAMs), a system clock is used to synchronize aburst mode operation which essentially consists of inputting an initialstart address and then incrementing the subsequent column addressesinternally, in response to the system clock cycles. SDRAMs however,require several additional pins compared to conventional DRAMs and assuch, are more difficult to fit in within standard memory modules SIMMs.Furthermore, the synchronization of all signals with the system clockrequires an additional level of design complexity not required inconventional DRAMs.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,675,549 issued to Ong et al on Oct. 7, 1997 describes aburst EDO memory address counter which consists of two flip/flops and amultiplexer and which can be implemented in EDO DRAM having a standardpin-out compatible with SIMM memory modules. The counter structureprovides for linear or interleaved addressing sequences. The countercell implementation is in fact a 2 bit burst address counter whichsimply counts the number of addresses required in the burst operation.The multiplexer is used to provide the toggle condition for the nextcounter bit.

In SRAMs employing burst mode operation, the internal counter used togenerate column addresses must be loadable with both external andinternal addresses. Typical implementations receiving internal andexternal address select input signals suffer from a high setup timerequirement between these address select signals and the system clock.As a result, the system clock must be delayed significantly to meet theset up time requirements. To reduce this setup time, gated clocks may beemployed which reduce the setup time, but carry inherent dangers offlitches which can result by latching spurious column addresses.

A need therefore arises for a counter cell which has minimal setup time,fast propagation delay and ensures robustness of the latched columnaddress.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Since the column address counter lies in a critical path for columnoperation in SDRAMs, it is important that column address count cellsshould have low setup time and fast propagation delays. The presentinvention is a structure of a column address counter which provides lowsetup time, and at the same time minimizes the propagation delays.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, an addresscounter cell for use in an address counter is comprised of anexternal-address master latch; an internal-address master latch; amultiplexer for selecting an external address stored in theexternal-address latch in response to an external-address controlsignal, and for selecting an internal address stored in theinternal-address latch in response to an internal-address controlsignal; a slave latch for storing the selected address from themultiplexer and for providing the selected address to an output; andaddress incrementing circuitry for incrementing the selected address andproviding an incremented address as an input to the internal-addressmaster latch.

In accordance with another embodiment, a method of generating an addressto an output is comprised of receiving a system clock pulse leading edgeand, in response: loading an external and an internal address input intoa first and second master latches respectively; selecting an addressfrom the first and second master latches; providing the selected addressto an input of a slave latch; and receiving a subsequent system clocktrailing edge and, in response: loading the selected address into theslave latch; providing the selected address to the output; providing theselected address to circuitry for internally incrementing the addressand providing the incremented address as an input to one of the masterlatches.

In accordance with another embodiment, an apparatus for generating anaddress bit is comprised of an external-address master latch; aninternal-address master latch; an address selection circuit forselecting an external address stored in the external-address latch inresponse to an external-address control signal, and for selecting aninternal address stored in the internal-address latch in response to aninternal-address control signal; a slave latch for storing the selectingaddress from the address selection circuit and for providing theselected address to an output; feedback circuitry for providing a fedback version of the output signal; address incrementing circuitry,including a carry input from a previous stage, for incrementing the fedback selected address and providing an incremented address as an inputto the internal-address master latch; and a system clock signal forsynchronizing the operation of the master and slave latches.

In accordance with another embodiment, a counter cell circuit forgenerating an address signal at an output is comprised of a pair ofmaster latches each for storing an address signal, a counter cell outputfor receiving at least one of the address signals, an intermediatestorage and transfer stage having an output coupled to the counter celloutput, a multiplexer having control inputs for receiving controlsignals, and having signal inputs coupled to outputs of correspondingmaster latches and having an output coupled to an input of theintermediate stage, a circuit for applying an external address signal toone of the master latches, during an external address input mode ofoperation; a feedback loop for applying a signal appearing at thecounter output to the other of the master latches, via incrementingcircuitry, during an internal address burst mode of operation, and asystem clock for synchronizing the loading of the master latches and thestorage and transfer stage, whereby the counter cell output is generateddirectly from the external address or internally by incrementing aprevious output in response to the system clock.

In accordance with another embodiment, a latch is comprised of a pair ofPMOS FETs having their source-drain circuits connected in series betweena voltage source VDD and serially connected source-drain circuits of apair of NMOS FETs which are connected between the PMOS FETs and ground,a gate of a first of the PMOS FETs, which is connected to the voltagesource VDD, being coupled to ground, a gate of a first of the NMOS FETs,which is connected to ground, being coupled to the voltage source VDD,an input to the latch being coupled to a junction of the other PMOS FETand the other NMOS FET, and to an input of an inverter, an output of theinverter being coupled to gates of the other PMOS FET and of the otherNMOS FET, the output of the inverter providing an output to the latch,and gate lengths of the first PMOS FET and the first NMOS FET beingsubstantially larger than gate lengths of the other PMOS and NMOS FETs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A better understanding of the invention will be obtained by aconsideration of the detailed description below, in conjunction with thefollowing drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

A column address counter cell that can be used to generate successiveaddresses in an SDRAM is illustrated in FIG. 1. The circuit is comprisedof a pair of input or master latches 1 and 3. A base address signal ACLis received at an input correspondingly labeled, which signal istransferred for storage in the latch 1 via an inverter 5, the output ofwhich is coupled to the input of latch 1. A corresponding inverter 7 hasits output coupled to the input of latch 3. The input of inverter 7 iscoupled to the output of exclusive OR gate 11, which has an input fromprevious counter stage CIN, applied to one input via a correspondinglylabeled input.

A pair of FETs 13 and 15, in this embodiment being of n-channelpolarity, have their source-drain circuits respectively connected inseries between the output of a corresponding latch, and the input of atransfer element, shown as inverter 17.

A pair of n-channel FETs 19 and 21 have their source-drain circuitsconnected in series between the input of inverter 17 and ground. Ap-channel FET 23 has its source-drain circuit connected in seriesbetween a voltage source VDD and the input of the inverter 17. Aninverter 25 is connected between the input of inverter 17 and the gateof FET 23.

The output of inverter 17 is coupled via a pair of inverters 29 and 31connected in series, and a subsequent pair of inverters 33 and 35connected in series, to another input of exclusive OR gate 11.

The output of inverter 17 is also coupled via inverters 37 and 39 to anoutput Yb, and the output of inverter 31 is connected via inverter 41 toan output Y. An output of slave latch 42 is coupled to the output ofinverter 17 and the input of inverter 37.

A clock signal DCLK₋₋ Y is applied from a correspondingly labeled inputto the inputs of inverters 43 and 45 via inverter 47. An inverter 49 iscoupled to the output of inverter 43. A signal CKb is provided from theoutput of inverter 47, a signal CK is provided from the output ofinverter 43, a signal CKDb is provided from the output of inverter 49,and a signal CKD is provided from the output of inverter 45. Thussignals CKb and CK are the buffered complementary versions of signalDCLK₋₋ Y, and the signals CKDb and CKD are delayed complementary versionsignals of signal DCLK₋₋ Y.

The inverters 5 and 7 are controlled inverters which are enabled by thesignal CKD going low to their PMOS controlling inputs and by CKDb goinghigh to their NMOS controlling inputs, thus powering the inverters.Inverter 17 is enabled by the signal CKb going low to its PMOScontrolling input and by the signal CK going high to its NMOScontrolling input.

A pair of control signals EXTY and EXTYb, designating external orinternal address counter mode, (which are typically complementary) arereceived via correspondingly labeled inputs, and are inverted byrespective corresponding inverters 43a and 45a, to provide the signalsE1b and E1. The signals EXTY and EXTYb are applied to the respectivegates of FETs 15 and 13. The signals E1 and E1b are applied to therespective gates of FETs 19 and 21.

In burst mode operation, a start address ACL is loaded into master latch1 through inverter 5 which is enabled by CKD being high and CKDb beinglow. The signal EXTY is made high to select an external address whileEXTYb is made low. These signals are derived from the column cyclecontrol circuitry and select between external and internal addressinputs to the column address counter cell. As a result, FET 15 is turnedon and FET 13 is turned off, resulting in the acceptance of the externalstart address. Since FET 15 is turned on, it passes the latched externaladdress ACL to the input of inverter 17. On the next rising edge of theclock DCLK₋₋ Y, the controlling signals for inverter 17, CK and Ckb,become high and low respectively, thereby enabling inverter 17 andloading the address into the slave latch 42. Shortly thereafter, thecontrolling signals of inverter 5, CKD and CKDb become high and lowrespectively, thereby disabling inverter 5 and isolating the masterlatch 1 from any other input. Once inverter 17 has been enabled, theslave latch 42 latches the address and provides the complementaryoutputs Y and Yb through inverters 29, 31 and 41, for Y, and inverters37 and 39, for Tb.

The output of inverter 31 is also fedback to the input of the EXOR gate11 through inverters 33 and 35. The fedback address is combined in theEXOR gate 11 with the carry bit from a previous stage. The carry bit isgenerated through combinational logic as is well known in the art. Theoutput of the EXOR gate 11 then waits for the next falling clock edge toload the resulting signal into master latch 3. With the start addresslatched output as the Y and Yb signals, the counter cell is then readyto begin incrementing the address outputs according to the burst mode.

During the remaining clock cycles of the burst mode, the address counterbegins incrementing the column address. On the falling edge of DCLK₋₋ Y,inverter 7 is enabled, and an internal address, incremented by the EXORgate 11, is loaded into master latch 3. EXTYb is then made high whileEXTY is made low, allowing the passing of the internally incrementedaddress to the input of inverter 17. On the following rising edge ofCLK₋₋ Y, inverter 17 is enabled, and the incremented address is loadedinto the slave latch 42. The outputs of the cell are then once againprovided as signals Y and Yb as well as fedback to the EXOR gate 11 forthe next clock cycle, to repeat the operation for the remainder of theburst mode. The counter cell as shown in FIG. 1, therefore acts as anedge triggered flip-flop for the remaining cycles of the burst modeoperation.

In one embodiment of the present invention, FETs 13 and 15 are NMOSdevices. NMOS devices are used in place of CMOS transfer gates to avoidadditional parasitic capacitance that may be introduced by the PMOSdevices. However, NMOS pass transistors experience a voltage thresholddrop across their source/drain paths when a logic high is to be passedthrough them. To address this problem, FET 23 and inverter 25 areprovided to ensure that if a logic high is to be passed to the input ofinverter 17 and therefore inverter 25 as well, that logic high will bereinforced and latched high through the half latch formed by inverter 25and FET 23. Alternately, full CMOS pass gates could be employed in placeof PETs 13 and 15, eliminating the need for FET 23 and inverter 25 atthe cost of increased load capacitance and propagation delays.

FETs 19 and 21 are further provided to avoid causing a floating node toexist at the input to inverter 17. If the address counter is disabled,both EXTY and EXTYb are set low. As a result, both E1 and E1b are high,pulling the input to inverter 17 low and ensuring that both outputs Yand Yb are held low.

The structure of the slave latch 42 is another feature of the presentinvention. Instead of simply connecting two common inverters back toback, as is shown for the master latches 1 and 3, the slave latchconsists of one common inverter 37 and a special inverter made up ofPMOS FETs 50, 51 and NMOS FETs 52, 53 all having their source-draincircuits connected in series between VDD and ground. The gates of FETs50 and 53 are coupled to ground and VDD respectively and the gatelengths of FETs 50 and 53 are made substantially larger than those ofFETs 51, 52. The result is an inverter with a reduced output loadcapacitance and fast switching characteristics which furthermore, willnot fight with the output node of inverter 17, due to the weak devices51, 52. This configuration ensures fast reliable switching within thecounter cell.

It should be noted that the delay from the time of the rising edge ofcontrol signal(s) EXTY/EXTYb to the time of the transfer of the desireddata from a master latch to the input of the inverter 17, is made lessthan or equal to the delay from the edge of DCLK₋₋ Y to the edge of CKb.This ensures that the input to the inverter 17 is stable prior to itbeing enabled by CK and CKb under zero setup time conditions.

Under small negative setup times, the inverter 17 is enabled prior tothe availability of stable data at its input. However, due to thepropagation delay through inverter 17 and succeeding stages, thereexists a small window of time after CKb is enabled during which itsinput can stabilize to the expected value.

While a particular clocking scheme has been described, a differentclocking scheme can be used. For example, the clock can be bufferedinternally of the circuit to reduce loading and slightly improve setuptime for data.

It is also possible to directly drive the enable inputs of tri-stateableinverters from a non-buffered clock.

Instead of the pass FETs described, full CMOS transmission gates couldbe used. Tri-stateable inverters can be used for the latches with enablesignals controlled by the clock.

While the design has been described above as being implemented forcolumn address counters, it can be used for other purposes which uses amultiplexer and a flip-flop. Thus the design, excluding the feedbackloop and the exclusive OR gate, can be used to implement parallel loadshift registers, and word parallel loadable counters. Some of suchapplications may have no need to latch the output of the inverter 17,and in such cases the latch 42 and associated inverters can be deleted.

A person understanding this invention may now conceive of alternateembodiments and enhancements using the principles described herein. Allsuch embodiments and enhancements are considered to be within the spiritand scope of this invention as defined in the claims appended hereto.

I claim:
 1. An address counter cell for use in an address countercomprising:(a) an external-address master latch; (b) an internal-addressmaster latch; (c) a multiplexer for selecting an external address storedin the external-address latch in response to an external-address controlsignal, and for selecting an internal address stored in theinternal-address latch in response to an internal-address controlsignal; (d) a slave latch for storing the selected address from themultiplexer and for providing the selected address to an output; and (e)address incrementing circuitry for incrementing the selected address andproviding an incremented address as an input to the internal-addressmaster latch.
 2. An address counter cell as defined in claim 1 includingcircuitry for receiving a system clock signal and providing bufferedversions of the system clock signal to control the master and slavelatches.
 3. An address counter cell as defined in claim 2 whereinaddress inputs are loaded into the external and internal-address latchesin response to a leading edge of the system clock and the selectedaddress from the multiplexer is loaded into the slave latch in responseto a subsequent trailing edge of the system clock.
 4. An address counteras defined in claim 3 in which the leading edge is a falling edge andthe trailing edge is a subsequent rising edge of the system clocksignal.
 5. An address counter as defined in claim 4 including a circuitfor feeding the address from the output back to the internal-addressmaster latch and for loading the fed back address into theinternal-address master latch in response to subsequent falling edges ofthe system clock signal, and a circuit for loading the selectedaddresses from the multiplexer into the slave latch during rising edgesof the system clock signal following each of said subsequent fallingedges of the system clock signal.
 6. A method of generating an addressto an output comprising:(a) receiving a system clock pulse leading edgeand, in response:I. loading an external and an internal address inputinto a first and second master latches respectively; II. selecting anaddress from the first and second master latches; III. providing theselected address to an input of a slave latch; (b) receiving asubsequent system clock trailing edge and, in response:I. loading theselected address into the slave latch; II. providing the selectedaddress to the output; III. providing the selected address to circuitryfor internally incrementing the address and providing the incrementedaddress as an input to one of the master latches.
 7. A method as definedin claim 6 including continuously incrementing the address loaded intothe second master latch during a burst mode of operation in response tosubsequent leading edges of the clock pulses.
 8. A method as defined inclaim 7 including performing said selecting step by means of amultiplexer.
 9. An apparatus for generating an address bitcomprising:(a) an external-address master latch; (b) an internal-addressmaster latch; (c) an address selection circuit for selecting an externaladdress stored in the external-address latch in response to anexternal-address control signal, and for selecting an internal addressstored in the internal-address latch in response to an internal-addresscontrol signal; (d) a slave latch for storing the selecting address fromthe address selection circuit and for providing the selected address toan output; (e) feedback circuitry for providing a fed back version ofthe output signal; (f) address incrementing circuitry, including a carryinput from a previous stage, for incrementing the fed back selectedaddress and providing an incremented address as an input to theinternal-address master latch; and (g) a system clock signal forsynchronizing the operation of the master and slave latches. 10.Apparatus as defined in claim 5 in which the circuit for selecting therespective address signals stored in the master latches is comprised ofa pair of switches.
 11. Apparatus as defined in claim 9 including acircuit for enabling the circuit for selection of respective addresssignals stored in the master latches at a time equal to or earlier thana time of actual transfer of signals stored in the master latches to thecircuit for selecting the respective address signals.
 12. Apparatus asdefined in claim 10, and further including a slave latch coupling thepair of switches to the output, and a circuit for delaying enabling ofthe slave latch to a time equal to or later than a time of enabling ofthe switches.
 13. Apparatus as defined in claim 10, and furtherincluding a slave latch coupling the pair of switches to the output, anda circuit for delaying enabling of the slave latch to a time that asignal applied thereto is stable.
 14. Apparatus as defined in claim 12including a circuit for inhibiting operation of the transfer stage inthe event that the enable signals are all of a predetermined logicvalue.
 15. Apparatus as defined in claim 9 including a circuit forinhibiting operation of the transfer stage in the event that the enablesignals are all of a predetermined logic value.
 16. A counter cellcircuit for generating an address signal at an output comprising:(a) apair of master latches each for storing an address signal, (b) a countercell output for receiving at least one of said address signals, (c) anintermediate storage and transfer stage having an output coupled to saidcounter cell output, (d) a multiplexer having control inputs forreceiving control signals, and having signal inputs coupled to outputsof corresponding master latches and having an output coupled to an inputof the intermediate stage, (e) a circuit for applying an externaladdress signal to one of the master latches, during an external addressinput mode of operation; (f) a feedback loop for applying a signalappearing at the counter output to the other of the master latches, viaincrementing circuitry, during an internal address burst mode ofoperation, and (g) a system clock for synchronizing the loading of themaster latches and the storage and transfer stage, whereby the countercell output is generated directly from the external address orinternally by incrementing a previous output in response to the systemclock.
 17. A counter as defined in claim 2, in which the slave latchcomprises:(a) a pair of PMOS FETs having their source-drain circuitsconnected in series between a voltage source VDD and serially connectedsource-drain circuits of a pair of NMOS FETs which are connected betweenthe PMOS FETs and ground, (b) a gate of a first of the PMOS FETs, whichis connected to the voltage source VDD, being coupled to ground, (c) agate of a first of the NMOS FETS, which is connected to ground, beingcoupled to the voltage source VDD, (d) an input to the latch beingcoupled to a junction of the other PMOS FET and the other NMOS FET, andto an input of an inverter, (e) an output of the inverter being coupledto gates of said other PMOS FET and of said other NMOS FET, the outputof the inverter providing an output to the latch, and (f) gate lengthsof the first PMOS FET and the first NMOS FET being substantially largerthan gate lengths of said other PMOS and NMOS FETs.
 18. Apparatus asdefined in claim 13, in which the slave latch comprises:(a) a pair ofPMOS FETs having their source-drain circuits connected in series betweena voltage source VDD and serially connected source-drain circuits of apair of NMOS FETs which are connected between the PMOS FETs and ground,(b) a gate of a first of the PMOS FETs, which is connected to thevoltage source VDD, being coupled to ground, (c) a gate of a first ofthe NMOS FETs, which is connected to ground, being coupled to thevoltage source VDD, (d) an input to the latch being coupled to ajunction of the other PMOS FET and the other NMOS FET, and to an inputof an inverter, (e) an output of the inverter being coupled to gates ofsaid other PMOS FET and of said other NMOS FET, the output of theinverter providing an output to the latch, and (f) gate lengths of thefirst PMOS FET and the first NMOS FET being substantially larger thangate lengths of said other PMOS and NMOS FETs.